Life Line

Chapter 1
Christmas Eve and No Presents!

Sleeping until 12:00 during the summer is normal but not for me. The meds don't help any and the desire to sleep has left my body. I lay here until nine, waiting for any movement down the hall. I don't like to be the first one up. I like to wait till some one else is up. I roll over and look out my window at the wet ground from the no longer frozen snow that swirled around into a vortex, a silhouette of cocaine teasing the air with its essence! The cold frost taps at my window daring me to step outside. My room is quiet and layered with posters and little things my friends and me thought were cool at the time. Why waste memories.The stereo is on. The blue light from the display screen slightly lights up the room. Cobra Starship is softly playing as I mouth the words!

"Chayse" mom yells from the kitchen. Finally movement, my excuse to get up. Or at least that’s what I tell myself! I walk down the dark long hallway, strict impulses rush my spine as I walk through the Christmas Eve cold on the hard wood floor! "Hey babe, good morning" I hear as I walk in the kitchen. I told her hey and sat at the table. "Sarah still sleeping?" she asks me like I know. "Maybe, I don't know why?" I said as I stretched. Mom looked pretty even with her bed head and wife beater on. She worked and still had time for us. It still amazes me. She sits and sets down two cereal bars and looks me in the face with a child like grin. "I got my paycheck,” she said excitingly. To me this means grocery shopping and maybe a new pair of jeans. "I got a raise,” she said "the dick of a manager was fired and I went up the ladder" she smiled. "Well, I'm no longer check out girl" she said redundantly. Working at Wal-mart sounds like cheap pay but working your way up has its advantages. Her promotion meant money I thought and a more spirited mom! "I'm taking you guys Christmas shopping"!

I was a little excited knowing that I can get something good that I wanted and not something mom got as a "similar" gift to the one she forgot she was supposed to get me. I turned the corner to the stairs and walked up them skipping every other step. I opened Sarah's door wiping my face! Most little kids sleep and the only thing you can say is "Oh, how cute" but not for Sarah! Her mouth was open with a weird slant and she drooled. Now awake was a different story! Her dark brown hair is the length of her back, strait, layered, and choppy. She had a pretty face. Her eyes were green like dads, a deep emerald color. She is tall for her age, a little too thin in my opinion. She didn't look like me at all.

I woke her up with slight pats on the back but no signs of motion. She slept like the dead. I saw her breathing well I heard it first. I patted a little harder and called her name telling her to wake up. She opened her eyes and looked at me. She pushed up a little like she was attempting a one-armed push up, fluffed her pillow, slammed her head against the pillow muttering something I couldn't make out, and went back to sleep. Reaching to rock her I was interrupted by her voice. "I'm UP!!" she said. "OK well mom's taking us shopping OOOOO" I said like one of her girlfriends trying to persuade her to get up from her little moments of being awake. She looked at me with tired eyes. "When?" she said like I was making it up, like I'm a liar! "IDK" I told her. Internet slang was one of the things we did. "In like ten minutes I guess". Her eyes opened noticing not a lot of time to get ready. How much time does it take a twelve year old to get ready! Who is she going to impress. "Get out" she shouted "Get out"! "Ok ok I'm going,” I said. She hopped out of bed and power walked to her dresser and began to brush her hair. The door closed as I looked back to make sure she was up. I walked down the stairs with a smile on my face! "Today will be a good day"!



Chapter 2
Meeting

"I don't have a car and I ca..." "Listen to me, Holsten has the weapons, Chris is in charge of security and I am gonna get the money, all that leaves is a get away car." "I don't have one, why can't you use one of yours Phoenix?" "The feds are on to me and if I use one of my cars, they'll be on me like a fucking pimp on a whore. I don't care what type of car it is just get one and make it quick. Your part of this family and you need to help Levi" "Ok I'll get one, whatever it takes...I'll get one".




Chapter 3
Brotherly Love My Ass


Walking to the car was chilly in only jeans and a jacket. Sarah was in her jeans and long-sleeve shirt covered with a tee. I sat in shotgun; mom drove because I didn't have my license because I was only sixteen. We began to travel to our destination. Brothers Dept. a local store that was soon to close down in a couple of weeks. I thought with all the sale signs everywhere the whole world to come to this one store but no one goes out of business for no reason. Sarah was excited and I was just happy to be out of the house. Mom stopped the car and grabbed Sarah's jacket as she tried to bolt thought the door. "Now look we have a little more money than we usually do around Christmas but don't go crazy". She explained mostly to Sarah. "Yeah Sarah" I said kiddingly. Mom looked at me like it wasn't funny. Sarah hit me on the arm. The passenger door of our dirty green 1990 Nissan screeched as I opened and closed the door. Sarah skipped down the parking lot as me and mom walked together. "Anything particular that you want?" Mom asks me. "I don't know, probably some clothes and an ipod". That’s all I really want. I’m not the big spending type. The cold ate away at me ears, tearing and thrashing at them. my throat burned as I breathed in the death breath of winter. I was a walking ad for Dentine Ice the way the steam rose from each breath I took. I stepped into the automatic doors feeling the cold leave my body and having the heat from the store hot me in the face! My mom yelled at Sarah as she ran. "I'll be toys I promise!" she said as she ran down the main aisle. I laughed as I saw my mom's face! "I'll meet you in electronics" mom said! She knew m a little to well. I walked down to the electronic section and browsed the DVD's. Then the CD's, picking up a few of each. There was Sarah, clenching her hand on the new Hannah Montana CD. She put it in her buggy. I guess she was just going to get a bunch of little stuff.

We stood by the check-up line as the clerk rings up our abundance of items. I study him, his packing technique, his hands flexing on our things. His nametag read Chris. We met eye contact and I looked away as quick as I can hoping he didn't notice. I looked down as I walked to the car. I took my ipod out and observed it, figuring out the device. I sat in the front seat of the car while Sarah was listening to her new CD player that was belting out Hannah songs I couldn’t make out. I jumped as the pre-downloaded song of Symphony #4 began to play on my ipod. I listened to the orchestra as the strings rang their beautiful requiem through my ears. Mom was in the trunk moving some stuff and looking at the clothes she bought. Hey its Christmas, she deserves to treat herself. I looked down at my new shoes, the symphony still playing. The car jerked forward and sped up. I looked up out my window to see what was going on. I paused my ipod to hear screaming. I looked to see mom was gone. A man sat in mom's seat, her seat and gun in hand! He looked nervously around as we exited the parking lot! I yelled not knowing what was going on. Sarah was hysterical. Her eyes filled with tears looked almost shut and she screamed. I jumped into the driver seat trying to grab the wheel; trying to do anything I could to stop the guy. The car swerved as we wrestled to take control over the car. Adrenalin pumped through my veins, I felt my heartbeat in my ears. The smell of flesh filled my nose followed by pain. I flew back into my seat. I went to jump back but he twisted the gun toward Sarah. Sarah screamed just as I did. "I...I don't want to hurt you, I just want the car ok. That’s all I want" he said his voice trembling with fear. "I can't let you out right now ok so just" Sarah was screaming as he spoke "just shut up, SHUT UP SHUT THE FUCK UP" He waved the gun around in her face. "Stop waving the gun in her face you ass who..." He put the gun toward me. I felt tears on my face. They mixed with the sweat.

Sarah calmed down a bit but was still crying quietly. We drove for about 10 minutes. With my knees to my chest I cried a bit. I looked at the man who had taking us from our mother...what happened to mom? I slowly reached for my cell. I dialed 911 and held it in my lap, hidden from the psycho. I began to talk. "Why do you have us here?" "Why did you take our car and us?" He slammed on the brakes. I flew forward into the dash; my cell flew and hit the windshield. I could here the woman on the other end shouting if I were ok. He closed the phone, looked at me and grabbed Sarah. He pulled her out of the car. "If you run or you scream, I will kill both of you!" he said. I listened. I ran to Sarah as he let his grasp up. He stayed behind us as we walked up to this old apartment complex.





Chapter 4
The House of Hell Didn’t Look That Bad

He pushed us into his apartment. It wasn’t dirty but unorganized definitely. He guided us to the couch. Sarah clenched my new jacket. He sat us down. "Now I am going across the hall for about fifteen minutes the I'm going to take you down the block or two and drop you off. That’s it no more me. The more you listen the quicker this will be. I didn't want to take you, you were just..." "In a right place at the wrong time?" I interrupted. "Sit here, and don’t think about trying to leave". That’s all he said and he walked out the door but not closing it. He left it open, to watch, listen, make sure we weren't going anywhere. What an idiot.

"I'm thirsty" Sarah told me. I got up and walked to the fridge. There’s barely anything but beer and left over take-out. There were some Coke's so I took one. I walked by the open door and right across the hall was the man who took our Christmas spirit. He sat at a table with three other men. I could not see their faces but there posture was fierce and intimidating. I walked to the couch opening the drink. I went to sit but I slipped. Falling backwards, the Coke flew from my hand, splattering all over a wall of pictures. Art, paintings, drawings, and moseas scattered the wall. I tried to wipe off the Coke before it ruined his artwork. I scrubbed and dabbed with a towel I had found. One painting had some spots so I dabbed but the paper stuck to the towel. A beam of light struck my eye. Blinding me for a second. I peeped through to whiteness. My eye focused and the picture became clear. An escape.

I ripped the paper slowly revealing a window. More of the art was pulled off till the window was open. Sarah slid through stepping on the fire escape, I followed. The wind was blowing cold shivers t us. We crept by until we saw the next window. A couple sat on the couch watching a movie. Sarah beat on the window startling them. I grabbed her hands and mouthed "Help Us" The man opened the window. "What the fuck are yall doing on the fire escape?" He said more scared than angry. I pushed my way in as he looked at me like I was crazy. "The man next door kidnapped us from Brothers Department store and brought us here please help us". They looked at Sarah and me. "Oh my God Stan these are those kids, from the news" the woman said. Stan as I just found out began to go to the door. "No, he is out there across the hall, watching please" I tried to tell him. I heard his girlfriends or wife on the phone with the police. He grabbed us some water and we sat on the couch. The woman thanked and told addresses. I sat back and sipped the cold water. A tear rushed down my face. "We're going home Sarah...We're going home"


Chapter 5
Homecoming Gift

Sitting in the hospital room was scary but we had a good time. Mom sat in her bed, her head wrapped and a black eye. Sarah jumped as she opened up gifts from the other relatives. The TV was muted, as we were busy talking like nothing happened. I looked at the TV for a second and I stood up. "SHHHHHHH" I told every one. I turned the TV up as loud as It could go.

"Yesterday a woman was a victim of grand theft auto with her children still inside. The man known as Levi Scene abducted two children, twelve and sixteen, as he tried to commandeer the vehicle. The mother of the children, Payeton Vanities, was hospitalized after being struck in the face by Levi. The children managed to escape to the neighbor’s home where the police were called. The kids identified Levi and he was later arrested in the stolen vehicle". The reporter said. The room was filled with joy and laughter and clapping. I smiled as I saw Sarah hugging mom.



Chapter 6
Staying Home

Mom was not able to leave the hospital and I was the only was Sarah could go to where ever she went. Driving was amazing. I smiled and laughed as Sarah and I sang to Hannah Montana. I let her listen to what ever she wanted. This was great, no parents, driving where I want, this was the life. Well, until tonight. Being kidnapped does not help Insomnia. I lay in bed trying to find a comfortable position to sleep but whom am I kidding. I got up and try to do something, anything. Nothing on the TV but Nick@Night reruns and infomercials. I get bored easily so on to the computer. Myspace is my first hit. A few comments later, I hit boredom. Vampirefreaks, youresolastyear, facebook, buzznet, writing, and google all get boring, but just in time. 7:00. Time to wake Sarah up! She gets up unusually easy. She got dressed and we headed to the car. Driving again. I dropped her off at one of her friend's house and I was off. The mall, Not the day after Christmas, the gift returnee’s epidemic. I'll go to MceDee's. Going through the drive-through is so cool when you’re driving through.

No cell phone so the radio is my next best bet. I crank up The Medic Droid. The consumption of a Big-n-Tasty and Fer Sure Maybe Hits the spot. I feel free, not bound by the chains of fate. Well... not for long.



Chapter 7
Captivity

"Pulled up at a stoplight, did drugs on the dashboard, look at mess we made tonight," is all you can hear from me. I had not a care in the world. I didn't even notice the white truck next to me, until it hit me. It rammed into the side of my car. I slowed down to stop and see the damage. The truck swung back and hit me again. The car jerked as the monster rammed into me again for the third time. I slammed the breaks trying to stop and turn left but the truck did a semi-doughnut. Facing me the truck halted to a stop. Our cars stared each other, taunting each other. I looked in the window of the monster. The windows were tinted, not even a silhouette. I tried to back up the car, The Medic Droid still playing. The monster jolted forward hitting the front of the Nissan. I crawled into the back seat and out the rear passenger side of the car and I made a run for it.

I ran into a parking garage. Running up the upper levels I hear tires screeching against the sharp turns. I climb between the levels saving more time. I reach for the thick wire. Just in my reach, my fingertips touch it. I am breathing heavily, sweat pouring down my face. My foot gives way. I feel light as I fall, like when I used to dream. When you would get that feeling when you fell in your dreams, right before you hit the ground you woke up. I'm already awake so I brace myself. The ground impales my whole body making my back is numb. I roll myself over. I'm covered in sweat and motor oil from the ground. I can barely breath as I began to crawl. I start to get up, heaving with a limp that soon disappears. I run a bit trying to see where I am. I'm out of breath, light headed, and bleeding. I don't hear any tires screeching. Something grabs me from behind, one arm around my face and one under my arms. I jump and kick top try and escape, but the clutches are to tight. It drags me backwards as I scream to nothing, no one. I get an arm free and turn to see the monster there. The doors wide open, waiting for me. A hand comes from the monster grabbing my head pulling me in. A rag covers my face. I smell a strong stench, sour, vile odor. I feel light headed, dizzy. The world spirals.

My head bumped against the tinted window. My eyes are heavy, I try to lift them but it doesn’t work right away. I try and talk but the words are empty. The tears fill my eyes. I can open them barely. I was on the rear passenger side of the monster. I looked around with the blurry vision. My hands were numb, sweaty, bound, tied together, intertwind with the rope. My back pressed against the door. I think about opening the door when we stop but no luck with that. I'll need to open the front door first. No one sits next to me. Just a driver and a passenger in front of me. Three feet or thirty feet, they're still too close. I lose hope. I look between the front seat and the door, staring into nothing. Resting my head. Then I see it. The seat adjuster lever. I can use this. I put one leg to my chest ready to kick. The other on the lever. No one notices my attempt. I slowly turn, putting my back against the front seat. My hands feel for the door handle. No luck. My foot slamms on the lever. I trust my self forward flattening the passenger.The seat slides up. I start kicking with the other foot. I force my leg into the driver as hard as I could. The driver tried to block but my blows are to strong. The monster swerves to a halt. I use both legs to kick the driver, the passenger still crushed by his seat and myself. I feel for the door handle, stretching my fingers for my escape. I'm still kicking and I'm not going to stop. My fingers pull on crevises and plastic, trying to find the handle, my life line. Something fits my hand. I pull. I take both legs one last time, thrusting them into the driver. The force knocked me out the door. I fell to the ground landing on the cold, wet grass. I look up in the monster, the passenger's bloody nose, the driver moves. I roll onto my feet, looking around the field. I run, feet grasping the ground. I see a building, an old shack. A wearhouse of some sort. The garage door is open and thats all I need.A place to hide. A man looks at me as he walks across the door opening. I look back. Both are chasing me. Not that far behind me I start to scream for help. The man coaxes me in. Just a little further. Thirty feet. Twenty. Ten. My hero holds his hand out to grab me. I run, taking a step into the shop. My hero swings his hand. His fist hits my face. The taste of blood and flesh rivits my mouth. The smell of sweat teased my nose. The ground slipped from my feet.


Chapter 8
Torture of Innocence

It’s very cold. My blood freezes with every heartbeat. I can feel a breeze on my skin. Cold metal touches my ankles. I try and move them but the chains put up a far greater fight. I look down to see I have no cloths on. My skin crawls as the cold tingles my skin. I whimper out little sounds of help. I just see boxes, crates, and other piles of things that I cant make out. The cement ground teases my toes. I hear footsteps coming closer. I look at the doorway staring, waiting to see the person who did this or someone who can help me. The footsteps are really close. They stop. I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head. The ringing in my ears makes me shiver. A man walks around the chair I am bound to. He looks laughing. Another man approaches from behind me. He has a blender in one hand. I don’t know what’s going on. I start begging for a reason, an explanation. All I get is a laugh and a spit in my face. He puts his foot between my legs on the edge of the chair. He trusts his leg forcing me to slide backwards. I slam into the wall, crushing my fingers. I yell full of agony. I can feel at least two of my fingers are broken. One of the fiends grabs my hair, pulling it as he plugs in the blender. My eyes open more than I ever thought possible. The bigger of the two untied my hands and held my arms behind my back. The thinner one lets go of my hair. A loud noise comes from the blender, puree most likely. The bigger one lets go of on of my arms as the thinner one grabs one of my arms, twisting it to bend then puts it slowly into the blender. My heart races. I’m howling, shaking, crying, and fearing for my arm, my life. My hand gets closer to the blades. Sharp, shiny. A spinning whirlpool of metal intertwining the air around it. The blender suddenly shuts off. “Are you two fucking stupid!” a voice came out from the doorway next to me. That’s where the other to men came from. “I can hear him screaming from way the hell out there I mean what is....” He looked down and paused. “What is going on here?” he asked the men. “I said scare him not torture him God Damn,” he said! He walked out the room. The bigger one held my arms as the thinner one began to pick up the blender. He got in my sobbing, sweaty face. He started to talk but I wasn’t listening. His mouth moved with such aggression. I couldn't just take it. I struck. I spit right in his face. Bullseye. Landed on the bridge of his nose. His eyes closed from impact and he shut up. He grinned. “Ha, Big mistake,” he said and took the blender and smashed it on the crate causing the blade to be exposed. The container fell to the floor. the blade lay still with the shine of death. He turns it on, blade spinning around like the snow from my window. He put it to my dick. Closer and Closer he came. I screamed, not looking. I yelle, curse, and scream my heart out. I feel the piss run down my legs, splashing from the spinning blade . My body started shaking, my head twisted back, hanging of the back of the chair. I could not move. my body's tremours were to intense. I just sat there and let it take me! I felt spit foam in my mouth. I could not control it. I felt tremendous pain in my tongue. I was biting down on my tongue but I could not stop. My hearing quit. Nothing made sense. Why can't I move? My tongue went numb.

Fingers slipped into my mouth. Reliefe on my tongue. My teeth sunk into the skin of the ligaments. I bit down, trying to stop whatever they are doing. The fingers yank from my mouth, my teeth clamped to each other, locking into themselves. The room began to slip, fall from exsistence.